Illuminated wheeled toy



Jan. 9, 1934. .1. E. BRUBAKER ILLUMINATED WHEELED TOY Filed May 26, 1933 JacobEBrwba/Rm;

Patented Jan. 9, 1934 UNITED STATES OFFiCE to The Hnbley Manufacturing Company,

Lancaster, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 26, 1933. Serial No. 673,056

2 Claims.

This invention relates to toys, and more particularly to a metal toy of the wheeled type illumihated by an electric lamp supplied with current from a battery dry-cell. 5 While illuminated wheeled toys are known in the art, nevertheless toys of the type now in use are more or less complicated both from the standpoint of manufacture and assembly and, therefore, involve items of expense which materially enter into the cost and selling price of the toy.

Also the matter of battery replacement in many toys presents a problem to the average child, due

to the complexity of parts to be manipulated to efiect the desired renewals.

Accordingly, the present invention has primarily in view a simple and practical construction and arrangement which eliminates the necessity for conductors of various types and shapes as well as insulated parts necessary to properly complete the electrical circuit in other toys. In that connection, the present invention contemplates the provision of a metal toy wherein a battery dry cell is supported in such a way as to be directly in contact with the lamp which simulates a headlight for the toy while at the same time, the switch lever for completing the circuit to the lamp not only performs its electrical function of closing the circuit between the battery and the lamp but at the same time may move or force the battery in a direction to insure positive contact between one of the lamp terminals and the battery.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cast metal toy which is inexpensive to produce; has a minimum of moving parts, and which is readily adapted to the use of standard battery dry cells and lamps adapted thereto.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and defined in the ap pended claims.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Figure l is a side elevation of a toy partly in section, constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a detail vertical sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of another type of toy, partly in section to illustrate the present invention.

Figure 4 is a detail cross-sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the 0 switch lever.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several figures of the drawing.

According to the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, the toy comprises a metal body A mounted on wheels B, the said body being provided with a cavity C opening at one side to permit the insertion and removal of a battery dry cell D. The sides of the cavity may be provided with the lugs E which serve as frictional means for engaging the outer insulating cover of the battery, thereby to hold the same in place. The cavity C may be inverted, that is, accessible from the bottom of the toy, as shown in the type of toy illustrated in Figure 1 or it may be upright, to be accessible from the top of the toy, as shown in Figure 3, thereby providing, in either case, a cradle or pocket for receiving the battery.

The battery D is preferably of the type having zinc and carbon terminals 1 and 2 respectively and an insulating outer cover 3. In any event, the battery is of the type having electrical terminals at opposite ends thereof and an insulating cover.

The body A, at one end of the cavity, is provided with a molded threaded socket 4 adapted to receive the threaded shank portion 5 of a lamp L which simulates a headlight for the toy. The threaded portion 5 of the lamp constitutes one of the lamp terminals and is in conductive relationship to the metallic body A. When the lamp is inserted in the threaded opening 4, the central terminal 6 of the lamp is exposed at one end of the cavity 0.

At a suitable point the body A is provided with a lever 7, the same being preferably located at the end of the cavity 0 opposite the threaded opening 4 which receives the lamp. The lever 7 preferably includes a handle 8 exposed at the outer side of the toy for manipulation while the portion thereof within the toy is provided with a cam 9 which operates within one end of the cavity. Thus, when the battery cell D is positioned in the cavity, the lever '7 performs the dual function of a contact or switch lever and cam. In its capacity as a switch member, the lever '7 is in conductive relation to the metallic body A and when moved or rocked so that the cam portion 9 thereof engages with the terminal 1, for example, an electrical circuit will be completed from the battery to the lamp through the metallic body A. In its capacity as a cam, the lever 7 performs the function of forcing the battery D longitudinally in the cavity C so that the opposite terminal 2, for example, will be forced into contact with the center terminal of the lamp.

The wheeled toy is made as a comple'tdunit, preferably in the form of a casting, thereby to In'inal. Variations in the length of the batteryor the amount of projection of the lampterminal through thethr'eaded'opening 4 may be readily compensated for due to the camming effect of the portion 9 of "the" lever 7. In other words, if

the battery is placed in the cavity C so that the terminal intended toengage'the center terminal ""ofthe lampisou'tof contact when the battery is placed in the cavity, the lever will force the bat 'tery terminal and'lamp terminal into electrically conducting 'rela'tionship.

'When the battery becomes dead, it is only ""necessary'toiremove'the 'same'either by the fingers'or through th'e use'of a convenient tool such as a screwdriver, pen'knife. or even a pencil so that the battery may be readily dislodged and a 'riew'one fitted in the "cavity.

" and ruggedtoy'wherein the lamp and battery terminalsare"in"'direct contact thus avoiding the i"necessity"for'u'sing wires or other special conductors. *Alsoythrough'the use of the cam type 'swit'ch'andcontact lever, no springs are required to maintain the lamp and battery-in electrical contact.

Without further description it is thought that the' fe'ature's' and advantages of the invention will opening and the center contact thereof exposed in the form, proportion and minor details of con-' struction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:-

1. A wheeled toy including a cast metal body having a battery receiving cavity {provided with rigid side walls and opening at one side of the body, means for constricting the width of the opening forming the entrance to the cavity, and said body formed with a threaded opening communicating with the cavity, an electric lamp simulating a headlight for the toy and having its screwshel'l terminal engaged with said threaded in said cavity, a battery cell having an insulating cover adapted to be inserted in the cavity and wedged therein by said means and the rigid walls thereof, said battery having electrical terminals at'opposit'e ends thereof and'one of said terminals contacting"directly with the center, contact of the'lamp', and a' metallic lever inv conductive relationship to the body, said lever being pivoted in the body at the end of the cavity opposite the lamp and including a cam portion, said cam portion serving 'as' a contact for the other of said battery terminals and 'as'means for forcing the battery toward the lamp.

2. A wheeled toy including a metal body pro-, vided with an open-sided cavity 'of greater length than a dry cell to be received therein, ribs 'onthe opposite walls 'of the cavity adjacent the open side of the latter, said body also being formed with a threaded opening; an electrical lamp having its screw shell terminal engaged with said 1163 r V threaded opening and having its center contact From'the' foregoing, it'will be apparent that the present invention provides a simple, practical exposed in the cavity, a drycell having an insulating cover adapted to be compressedwhen-the. battery is forced between said ribs and also having electrical terminals at opposite'ends thereof, one of saidterminals contacting directly with the center contact of the lamp, and a lever pivotally mounted'in thebody at the end of the cavity opposite the lamp and having a cam portionadapted'to'enga'ge with the otherof said battery trmi'nals'andiadapted'to force the battery in the cavity toward the lamp.

JACOB E. BRUBAKER. 

